Discussion

help mee!

i am in S2 in secondary school + i have just got through to a serious round in a cooking competition. we have to cook a main course and a dessert in an hour and a half. i am trying to focus all my attention to my main course so i am looking for a quick pudding, but shows off a range of skills. if anyone can help, that would be brilliant :) i need to know ASAP! thank you everybody :D

Seriously, though... quick pudding.... that's tricky. You could probably make a cooked rice based pudding in a blender pretty quickly. If my memory serves me correctly, I think Heston Blumenthal does a blender pudding of some sorts. Can you start with cooked rice or would you have to cook the rice from scratch?

Custards can be quick, although, the quicker they are, the more like you'll end up with scrambled eggs. There may be ingredients you can use that will mitigate this, though.

Vegetable gums can make up quick pudding and impress on a science level, but, when you end up with a slimy mess, that might not work too well for you.

Given the OP's use of the term brilliant, I'd say yes, (s)he is British, in which case we're just looking for a quick but creative dessert.

Something that shows off a range of skills - hmm...

Lemonlover, we don't know what skills you have, but maybe crepes topped with whipped cream and either berries or melted chocolate? Those are all quick preparations and would show off your ability to make a batter, cook it correctly (be sure to practice at home first!), whip the cream (add about 1 tbsp of confectioner's sugar - icing sugar to you - and 1 tsp of vanilla extract per cup of heavy cream) and melt chocolate without burning it.

Topped crepes are 'pudding?' Yeesh, I can deal with Lorries, bumming a fag, Bob's your uncle, etc. etc. I can even see how trifle might be called pudding and fully comprehend pudding sausages. But topped crepes 'pudding?'

hi there everybody :) sorry, i meant pudding as dessert haha, just an old family saying. my family always refer to a dessert as a 'pudding'. sorry about all the confusion. thanks for the ideas though :) i will sure take them into consideration.

DirectionsBlend a little milk, 1/2 cup from the 2 cups in the recipe, with the cocoa powder to make a paste, add the sugar and another cup of the milk and bring to a simmer.

Whisk together the remaining milk, egg yolks, cornstarch and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot milk (skill 2#: tempering) into the egg yolk mixture, return to the saucepan and cook, over med. heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla. Done.

To chill, press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the pudding, unless you like the skin.Good luck, sounds like a fun competition.

This was recently in the New York Times. I have made it several times and I use less eggs and a cup of ground almonds and I added dried cherries. Good luck!

THE MINIMALIST; Cake, Tart, Frittata: Call It the New Baking

IN my ongoing quest to make baking easier, I thought I might try making a flourless, crustless tart that was more than a custard and not a cake, either. I had an idea for a mostly stovetop dish that resembled a tart, a kind of dessert frittata that was as simple to make as an omelet, but rich, chewy and sweet.

Once I had the concept, the execution wasn't that difficult. I started with a base of eggs (not surprising) and chose almonds, pulverized in the food processor, instead of flour; I was after flavor, not lightness. For a more interesting texture, I tossed in a handful of sliced almonds as well.

Cream, sugar, a little lemon juice for balance, and I had what seemed like a pretty promising batter in front of me. So promising, in fact, that it took a couple of tries for me to slow the process down and recognize that time was a key element: to keep the eggs from curdling, I needed to back down the temperature.

I wound up cooking the tart -- that's really what it is -- for just a few minutes over low heat, just to let the eggs set up. Then I moved it to the oven to finish.

Being a fan of anything crisp, I stuck the pan under the broiler for a minute to brown the top, sprinkled it with some powdered sugar and declared success. The pan-baked tart is rich, moist, sweet and easy.

For a decadent breakfast, a new twist on the classic coffeecake or a last-minute dessert, this is definitely my kind of baking.

2. Melt butter in an 8-inch ovenproof skillet over low heat; when foam has subsided, add almond mixture to pan, tilting pan to distribute batter evenly. Continue to cook tart on stovetop until edges just begin to set, then put pan in oven and finish cooking, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

3. When tart is done, put it in broiler for about a minute or until just golden on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and sliced almonds. Serve.

2. Melt butter in an 8-inch ovenproof skillet over low heat; when foam has subsided, add almond mixture to pan, tilting pan to distribute batter evenly. Continue to cook tart on stovetop until edges just begin to set, then put pan in oven and finish cooking, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

3. When tart is done, put it in broiler for about a minute or until just golden on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and sliced almonds. Serve.

I have a great recipe for molten chocolate cakes (individual ones) which can be assembled very quickly (maybe while your main is cooking - or before you start it) and then thrown into the oven for 12 or so minutes to bake. You serve them warm with whipped cream and they're delicious.

In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter and place over low heat. Cook, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the brandy. Let cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, additional egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee powder until very thick, about 5 minutes. The mixture should form a gloopy ribbon when you lift the beater from the bowl. Fold in the flour and the chocolate mixture, mixing just until combined.

Pour batter into four well-greased 3/4-cup (175 mL) custard cups or souffle dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until about 45 minutes before you’re ready to serve dessert. (In fact, you can do this up to a whole day ahead of time. Really!)

If refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 400o F (200o C).

Place custard cups on a baking sheet and bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center of one of the cups comes out with moist batter still attached. (These should be drastically underbaked in order to produce the crucial lava effect.) Let cool for 5 minutes, then carefully loosen the sides and turn them out onto individual serving plates.